Planning a trip to Italy and intend to take overnight ferry from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Palermo, Sicily. What is the best way to get from the airport to Civitavecchia? Looking at price, frequency of departures and reliability. Thanks for any info anyone can provide.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23284 posts
The best way is to hire a car and driver. Door to door, abut an hour. A lot cheaper but much longer is the Leonard Express to Termini and then a local train to Civit... Leonard Express runs twice an hour and the trains to Civit... run three to four times an hour depending on time of day. LE is 14 Euro and the train is 8 to 12 Euro depending on the train. Allow a total time of about three hours including waiting for trains. Buy your tickets at the airport ticket office.
Posted by
Green Bay
20151 posts
You can take the local train (NOT the Leonardo Express) to Rome Trastevere, and change to a train to Civitavecchia for 11 euro. Departures every 30 minutes. The ones at 27 past the hour take 1 hour 46 minutes. The ones at 57 past the hour take 2 hours and 2 minutes. Should be plenty reliable unless there is a strike.
Posted by
Campbell River, Canada
361 posts
Hi dbuster, I know that you didn't ask this question but have you checked into flying to Palermo from FCO? Since you're already at the airport, it's a one hour flight and really cheap, saving you a lot of time and probably money too. Sorry I can't answer your original question as have only travelled to Sicily by ferry and air. Ciao, Sherry
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks for the help. Sounds like a hired car may be the quickest and easiest way to get from FCO to Civitavecchia, though certainly not the cheapest.
And here's why we're floating, rather than flying, between Rome and Palermo: We'll be in the air and/or airports for something like 15-plus hours and seven time zones. The boat trip will be a good way to recalibrate from any jet lag and will keep us from the guilt of feeling like we should be wandering around Palermo when we'd really benefit more from a few hours of sleep on that arrival day. We'll watch the Italian coast go by til we can't keep our eyes open and then retreat to our cabin on the ferry. Also, the boat ride will be a cozy, romantic way to begin our time back in Italy. We will be flying back from Palermo to Rome, though, both to save some sightseeing time and because our second week of timeshare (in Assisi) starts on the same day that our stay in Palermo ends.
Thanks again to you all.